Sport for kids

I think that the fostering of the correct common sporting culture for children is the one and only route to achievement and success. If sport is ‘fun’ for kids it will garner support and thereby participation.  Once this is secured it can be better managed and through this there will be talent creation even before the selection vs identification quandary. The ‘fun’ factor is being lost in the haze of performance, achievement and early age elite athlete programmes. This downward spiral gathers momentum on the back of parents with unrealistic expectations and coaches/mentors that are not suitably qualified or that have the correct ambitions and visions. Kids need to know that doing something you love is a reward in itself and it is not measured against an adult performance scale. Being average is not a sin, it only means that you need to spend more time doing what you enjoy in order to enjoy it more. Being better than the rest is a blessing that comes easy for some and for others it comes as a reward for extra effort. If any sin is to be identified it is the creation of a sporting environment where children are reluctant to participate. This could be reasons like fear of failure, adult pressure, bullying or simply lack of enjoyment. If kids spend hours doing what they love they won’t think of it as such a chore and this would undoubtedly unlock more skills too. Getting this culture right would also mean that the mass exodus from the sporting arena directly after school might be stymied which would halt the sad demise of club sport as we have seen over the years. Club life as we know was where ‘mini’ sport started with parents, players, coaches and volunteers all chipping in to let the kids have a run-around on the weekends. We all need to get back on the same bus to reap the rewards in the future. It all boils down to giving today’s kids freedom to have fun, with each other and against one another.